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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24300286">Like a Good Neighbor</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amrynth/pseuds/Amrynth'>Amrynth</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Critical Role (Web Series)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Neighbors, F/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 02:15:46</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,768</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24300286</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amrynth/pseuds/Amrynth</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Vex is settling into her new apartment and isn't sure what to think her neighbor's "dog".</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Keyleth/Vax'ildan (Critical Role), Percival "Percy" Fredrickstein Von Musel Klossowski de Rolo III/Vex'ahlia</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>154</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Neighbor</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I did this for Au August in 2018 and have no idea why it was never posted.  The prompt was "Neighbors" and it went a little off the rails apparently.  I vaguely recall writing this.  August 2018 was a lifetime ago.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Well this is you, Stubby,” Vax set the last box on the floor in the living room and dusted his hands off.  </p>
<p>“Thanks, darling,” she leaned up on her toes to kiss her twin brother on the cheek.  “You should go get some rest and you can come help rearrange furniture tomorrow.”</p>
<p>“I’ve never had such a tempting invitation.”  </p>
<p>Keyleth appeared in the door with a massive plant, knocking on the open door.  </p>
<p>“Ohh wow, Keyleth,” Vex sounded, to most of the world, as though she was delighted by the sight of the plant.  Vax was the only person who would pick up on the small note of dismay.  “That’s really great.”</p>
<p>“This is supposed to be really good for cleaning the air so I thought maybe you could do with it.  We can burn sage tomorrow if you want, maybe it would be best not to sleep here tonight if we haven’t done a cleansing…” Keyleth bit her lip, holding the plant out to Vex.  </p>
<p>“Are you just trying to get me to sleep in my room at your place one more night?” Vex asked.  </p>
<p>Keyleth blushed and Vax cleared his throat before she could answer.  “No we, er, have plans and, I just-”  </p>
<p>Vex mimicked vomiting.  “First house rule, never talk or even allude to having sex with my brother.  Ever again.”</p>
<p>They laughed but, unspoken, they all agreed this was a good rule.  </p>
<p>“You know, I think I saw your neighbor when I was coming up here with this.  He was sort of cute,” Keyleth said, moving Vex’s plant to where it would actually get some sunlight.  </p>
<p>“Yeah?  Maybe I should go introduce myself,” Vex said with a little twinkle in her eye.</p>
<p>“Sister, dear.  You, living on your own, should not be introducing yourself to strange men or doing anything that is not in your best interest and is not going to start rumo-”  Vax started lecturing only to be stopped by a hand across his mouth.  </p>
<p>“Is my brother, Vax’ildan, who now has an apartment alone with his girlfriend, about to tell me if I am or am not allowed to invite a man into my home?” Vex asked.  There was a dangerous glint in her eye and Vax swallowed any further lecture.  </p>
<p>“No.  Not at all.”  </p>
<p>Keyleth wrapped a hand around Vax’s upper arm and drew him away from where he was trying to use his scant difference in height to be paternal.  “Maybe we should go and let Vex unpack.”  </p>
<p>Vax allowed himself to be led out, it wasn’t backing down if it was because Keyleth wanted to go.  When he was halfway out the door, Keyleth looked over her shoulder and mouthed ‘really cute’ to Vex with a smile, then followed Vax so they could go home and enjoy having the apartment to themselves.  It was silly, but Vex peeked out into the hallway just in case this supposed cute neighbor was out there.  Of course not.</p>
<p>It was several weeks of unpacking before Vex actually met her neighbor, though she heard him several times.  The walls of the apartment were thin, on one side of the apartment she could hear her neighbors through the wall regularly getting their business on.  But on the side she shared with the supposed cute neighbor, the apartment was virtually silent most of the day.  At night she could hear something low and deep and barely human sounding.  Large dogs weren’t allowed in the building but she wouldn’t be shocked if someone had snuck one in.  Was the mysterious Mr. Handsome that sort of person?</p>
<p>She was coming home late in the evening when they actually ran into one another.  Vex had her head down, texting Keyleth while she flipped keys to find the right one just as her neighbor was closing the door behind him.  She almost dropped both keys and phone to avoid running into him and ended up with only her keys on the floor in the hallway.  </p>
<p>“Oh sorry.  Oh.  Hi neighbor,” Vex blinked at him.  Keyleth was right.  He was cute in a nerdy sort of way.  He was shorter than she’d imagined, slender and fair with a shock of white hair and glasses that could only be called spectacles.  The door was closed so she didn’t get a peek into the apartment behind him, but she smiled warmly anyway.</p>
<p>He blinked, owlish and startled through his glasses, then leaned down to retrieve the dropped keys.  “Are we?  I suppose we are.”</p>
<p>“Do you have a dog?”  Vex held a hand out for her keys.</p>
<p>He didn’t drop them into her hand but had gone a shade or two paler than he had already been.  “What?”  </p>
<p>“Oh.  Um.  I’m not going to turn you in or anything.  Sometimes I think I can hear it through the wall is all,” she tried for casual but there was a tension in the handsome, if strange, man’s face.  </p>
<p>“I don’t have a… a dog,” he said, briefly meeting her gaze and then looking away.  </p>
<p>“Do you have a name?’ Vex asked.  “I’m Vex’ahlia but people call me Vex.”</p>
<p>“Percival Fredrickstein Von Musel Klossowski de Rolo III,” he aswered.  The long name rolled off his tongue almost like a single word, almost like he was daring her to actually catch or remember any of it.  He glanced up catching her eyes almost like an accident but couldn’t quite look away.  </p>
<p>“Well, Percy, it’s nice to meet you,” Vex offered a hand, the one not occupied by keys.  “Perhaps one of these days I’ll get to meet your non existent dog.”  </p>
<p>“It’s not- I don’t have a dog,” he said half-heartedly.  He took the offered hand but didn’t seem to know what to do with it, lifting it partway to his lips and then trying to pretend like it was just a really unusual handshake.</p>
<p>“Sure you don’t.”  Vex winked and Percy blushed, done in by the power of her wink.</p>
<p>“I should.  Bye.”  He extricated his hand and walked down the hall, fussing with his glasses in passing.  </p>
<p>Vex turned to watch him and let herself into her apartment.  He wasn’t home so she walked to their adjacent wall and placed her ear against it.  It was quiet so she knocked on the wall, light and soft and gentle and barely audible.  Something struck the wall on the other side and Vex jerked away from the wall.  She could hear it growling, the sound reverberating through the wall.  Before now she hadn’t been intimidated by the supposed dog but if Percival really did not have a dog.  </p>
<p>She shivered and backed up from the thin wall.  </p>
<p>Soon Vex and Percy were passing one another regularly, almost on a conversational level with one another.  He was regularly back and forth from the library, burdened down by books more often than she ever saw him getting groceries.  She made excuses to drop off leftovers and catch glimpses into his apartment, determined to prove that he had a dog.  It had to be a dog.  </p>
<p>“Hey Vex,” Percy had his arms full of books again, attempting to balance them in his arms and unlock the door to his apartment.  </p>
<p>“Hey.  Want to come over for pizza?” Vex leaned against the narrow bit of wall between their doors, smiling at him.  </p>
<p>Percy dropped his books.</p>
<p>“Is that a yes or a no?” Vex bent and started to help pick up books, most of them about mechanics and intricate clockwork.  </p>
<p>“Oh er,” Percy was definitely blushing and struggling with the door and the books he’d picked up.  “Pizza?  Is it just- will it just be us?”  </p>
<p>“Mmm.  And the newest shark tornado film, it’s airing tonight and I hear it’s supposed to be spectacularly bad.  If you need a chaperone I can call my brother over.” </p>
<p>Vex didn’t hand over the books in her hands when Percy held out half an arm, barely managing the books he was holding anyway.  Instead she followed him into his apartment with the books in her arms.  It was almost spartan in its decoration, the kitchen directly by the door shockingly neat.  The living room was dedicated to a massive desk covered with books and notes and pieces of what looked like a disassembled camera.</p>
<p>Percy was too flustered and struggling for words to actually prevent her from entering or object to her presence.  A quick glance confirmed there was no dog dish in the kitchen, no dog bed in his work area, no actual indication of a dog let alone a dog come to greet its master.  </p>
<p>“What is a shark tornado?”  </p>
<p>“No seriously, where is your dog?” Vex asked, hands on her hips.  “I seriously thought you had to be hiding a dog this whole time.”</p>
<p>Something moved in the apartment and Percy’s flustered boyish fell away to tension instead.  “It’s not a dog, I told you.”</p>
<p>Instead of the pad of feet, there was a sigh of air and a shifting of shadows that collected in one part of the room to become solid.  Vex watched, too surprised to do anything but hold the books in her arms while Percy slowly and deliberately stepped into the space between Vex and where the shadows were moving on their own.  </p>
<p>“Percival what is that?”</p>
<p>“My… dog.”  </p>
<p>Two reddish eyes took shape in the cloud of shadows, flickering like flame and focusing on Vex where she stood behind Percy.  </p>
<p>“Vex, I’ll meet you for pizza in ten minutes.  Walk slowly to the door, okay?”  </p>
<p>The shadows were growling.</p>
<p>“Percival-”</p>
<p>“Ten minutes.”  He didn’t take his gaze from the shadow, which had turned its eyes to him instead of Vex.  </p>
<p>She set the book on the kitchen counter but before leaving put her hand on his back between his shoulder blades.  “If you’re not there in ten minutes I’ll come looking for you.”</p>
<p>There was a huff of air that might have almost been a laugh but could have been a gasp.  She let her hand rest there a moment before she walked slowly and confidently to the door.  Only when she was on the other side and the growling of the shadows was muffled by the solid shape of the door did she let herself rest her back against the door and allow herself to shake and try to breathe.  Vex put a hand over her mouth and pushed the palm of it against her lips to stop herself from- she didn’t know if she wanted to scream or laugh or sob but something threatened to burst out. </p>
<p>Once her legs worked again, she walked to her kitchen and set a timer for nine minutes.  She sat and watched it and she had attempted to straighten her apartment up but couldn’t bear to be where she could not see the timer.  With thirty seconds to spare, Vex was about to gear up and go get Percy when someone knocked on her door.  She practically ran and pulled the door open to see Percy there, looking quite ordinary (for Percy) and a little bashful.  </p>
<p>He smiled at her.  “Do you mind if we don’t talk about that yet?”</p>
<p>Vex opened her mouth and closed it twice while she tried to figure out what to say.  Finally she stepped out of the doorway and gestured with one hand.  “Sharks and pizza?”</p>
<p>“Sharks and pizza.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Blind Date</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Keyleth sets Vex up on a blind date with someone her friend Shaun knows.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I used an AU August prompt (Blind Date) as an excuse to add a chapter on here!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Keyleth I don’t want to go on a blind date,” Vex crossed her arms over her chest and threw herself onto her old couch, now Vax and Keyleth’s couch.  </p>
<p>“Did something happen with the cute neighbor?” Keyleth asked, practically sparkling with interest.</p>
<p>Vax’ildan sounded much less pleased, his voice low with menace.  “Did something happen with the cute neighbor?”</p>
<p>Vex snorted, unintimidated by her brother.  “Hardly.  We ate pizza once but I’m not sure if he’s interested.”  Ever since pizza night, Percy had been avoiding being alone with her longer than absolutely necessary to pass one another in the hallway outside their apartments.</p>
<p>“Then there’s no harm in going on a date.  Shaun says he’s really amazing, totally single and super hot.  And probably not a murderer.  I didn’t actually ask, maybe I should have asked that.”  Keyleth ticked off the four positives on her fingers but paused at the end.  “Okay most likely not a murderer and I’ve got a really good idea for where to go for your date and it’s totally public so even if he is a murderer then Vax will be there to stab him.  That’s reassuring, right?”</p>
<p>The twins exchanged a look.  Vex found Keyleth endearing when she was trying this hard, so pretty much all the time.  She could see that Vax was trying to be stern about the entire concept of his sister on a date but also completely enamored of his girlfriend at this precise moment.  </p>
<p>“Have you met Shaun’s friend, Kiki?” Vex asked, leaning against the arm of the couch to be able to look at the both of them.  She pulled one of the decorative plush around to put it against her stomach, arms wrapping around it.  It was some sort of plush character that Keyleth liked, a bulbamonster from a video game.  </p>
<p>“No, not yet?” Keyleth said it like a question.</p>
<p>“I think it’s a stupid idea anyway,” Vax added.  “If he’s so great why is he single and why is he getting Shaun to set him up with my sister?  She’s too good for some asshole who can’t find his own dates.”  </p>
<p>She snorted again and rolled her eyes at her brother.  “Darling you’re much too over protective.  Keyleth, did Shaun mention if his friend was rich?”</p>
<p>Vax barked a laugh.  “Oh yeah, he’s going to love you.”</p>
<p>Now Vex glared.  “Alright Keyleth.  Let’s meet this mysterious, amazing, single, hot, rich friend of your friend.  I’m going to impress the pants right off of him.”</p>
<p>This time Vax was far less amused and glared right back.  “Not on the first date you won't.”</p>
<p>“What I do or do not do with my pants on a first date is none of your business”</p>
<p>Keyleth was not even bothered by the siblings bickering, thumbs moving across her phone to let her friend know.  “I didn’t say he was rich, did I say he was rich?  I don’t actually know if he’s rich or not.  I don’t know if that’s a blind date thing to ask.”</p>
<p>“It doesn’t matter at this point, Keyleth.  I’m going to fall in love out of spite,” Vex said with a grin at her twin.</p>
<p>-</p>
<p>Despite Keyleth’s protests that spite was the wrong sentiment to lead to a date, Vex insisted on getting a time and location to meet up with her blind date.  A week later and she was stepping off the bus near the park, wearing a blue sundress and wide sun hat that Pike had helped her pick out.  According to Keyleth, she was supposed to look for her date by the rental booth for the ducky paddle boats.  Shaun would be there as well, just so there was no confusion.</p>
<p>Somewhere in the park were Keyleth and Vax were already together on a date of their own; Vex suspected that their promise of keeping an eye out would get distracted very quickly.  She was keeping track with her own personal bet for when one of them would pop the question.  Also which one it would be. </p>
<p>Shaun Gilmore was easy enough to spot, wearing an expensive jacket and standing where Vex couldn’t quite see his friend behind him.  But she waved and he waved back, and she avoided trying too hard to scope out her date while she walked from the bus stop along the lake to where the paddle boat rental booth was.  </p>
<p>“Vex’ahlia, looking beautiful as ever.  May I introduce my friend-”</p>
<p>“Percy!  What are you doing here?” Vex blinked at him.  </p>
<p>Percy looked just as startled as Vex felt, flushing as he caught her eye.  “Oh gods.”</p>
<p>Unperturbed, Shaun looked delighted by everything happening around him.  “I see introductions are not in order.  Percival, is this the beautiful neighbor you mentioned?”</p>
<p>“I’m sorry, Vex.  This whole dating thing is stupid and you can go home if you want,” Percy lowered his gaze and whatever was holding him up internally deflated with his shoulders.  </p>
<p>“Bullshit,” she said, startling the both of them.  Percy was surprised into looking up and Vex held his gaze with force of will alone.  “I was promised a nice afternoon in the park.  I was promised you would paddle me around this lake in a ducky boat.  And I didn’t put on a dress just to go home by myself.”</p>
<p>Percy’s brows lowered and his jaw squared as though he was getting ready to make a rebuttal.  </p>
<p>“If the next words out of your mouth aren’t telling me how nice I look in this dress, both of you are going straight into the lake,” Vax threatened.</p>
<p>“What did I do?” Shaun asked.  “Uh Percival.  A word if you don’t mind.”  </p>
<p>Before Percy could respond to Vex, Shaun guided him to the side of the ducky rental by his elbow.  They were still in Vex’s line of sight but talking in quiet tones she couldn’t make out at that distance.  She checked her phone and slid it back into her pocket.  Who wore dresses without pockets these days?  </p>
<p>“Well, Vex’ahlia it is always lovely to see you,” Shaun said, smiling at her.  “I’ll just be off to catch up with Keyleth and Vax.  Percival, be a gentleman.”  </p>
<p>Percy rolled his eyes at Shaun’s back before turning to face Vex again.  “You do look very nice.  I didn’t know if it needed to be said because you look beautiful everyday.”  </p>
<p>“Well you’ve saved yourself from being pushed into the lake at least,” Vex responded, but she smiled and tried to tell herself that the little fluttering in her stomach had nothing to do with Percy. </p>
<p>He laughed, shoulders relaxing as he did so.  </p>
<p>Vex smiled and adjusted her hat slightly.  “I thought Vax and Keyleth were here on a date.”</p>
<p>“Mm.  They are,” Percy glanced the direction Shaun had gone.  </p>
<p>“Right.  Well, then we should get going on our date as well.”</p>
<p>“Vex this- this isn’t a good idea,” Percy said, the smile in his eyes bleeding away until he just looked anxious.  </p>
<p>“It doesn’t have to be a date, Percy.”  She closed the gap between them resisting the urge to touch his arm or hand to soothe him.  “But you do owe me a trip around the lake.  As my friend.  Or at least as my neighbor if being my friend is too much.”</p>
<p>“Oh no.  I would like being your friend,” he lifted his head to meet her eyes, slightly alarmed.  </p>
<p>“Well then be a pal and rent us a duckie boat.”</p>
<p>-</p>
<p>“Have I told you about my cat?”</p>
<p>Percy paused in pedaling them across the lake, pushing his glasses up his nose.  He had already expressed he didn’t want to talk about his dog, and exhausted how he knew Shaun.  Vex felt quite pleased for extracting information about Percy by getting him to talk about his friend.  Shaun was very good at getting his hands on hard to come by materials that Percy used in his studies.  Just what he was studying was much more vague and he avoided answering the question like a professional.  </p>
<p>“You have a cat?”  </p>
<p>“Not yet,” she laughed as she said this, watching his expression.  “But I will.  I’d like something sturdy like.  A bear.  But I don’t think they allow bears in our complex.”  </p>
<p>Her answer provoked a laugh from Percy and she found she liked how his face relaxed when he laughed.  She casually leaned her shoulder against his, joining the laughter as their duck drifted aimlessly across the lake.  </p>
<p>“Do you have a name picked out for your bear?” Percy asked, resuming his pedaling.  They had no destination in mind and it didn’t matter.  </p>
<p>“Oh he’ll be my special treasure.  My Trinket,” Vex said.  </p>
<p>“I like that.  I ah- I didn’t name mine.  It came with its own name,” Percy said, voice tense but managing a conversational tone.  </p>
<p>“Darling we don’t have to talk about him,” she reassured him, putting a hand on his arm.  “Percy, did you put sunscreen on?”</p>
<p>“No, why?”  He looked at her and then down at his arm where it had been in the sun most of the time they’d been on the lake.  </p>
<p>“Okay, paddle us back to the dock.  We’ll get some aloe and dinner.  Dinner?  I think sushi sounds really good, your treat since I did buy you aloe for your sunburn after all.”</p>
<p>Percy opened his mouth once, about to object, but then he smiled.  “Alright.  I would like that.”</p>
<p>As they walked, Vex linked her arm into his, a very non-date activity.  They were definitely not on a date when Percy ordered sushi to be delivered while Vex put aloe onto his arms and face.  It wasn’t a date when they were laughing over the movie Vex picked while they shared sushi.  </p>
<p>Somehow it had gotten quite late when Percy finally rose to go the short distance down the hall to his own apartment.  Her apartment had been quiet other than their movie and the soft bubble of shared, pleasant company; until Percy mentioned needing to feed the dog, voice soft and low like he was apologizing for something quite serious.  </p>
<p>“Oh.  Let me walk you home,” Vex said, getting up off the couch and smoothing her skirt out.  </p>
<p>“That’s not-”</p>
<p>“It’s so far after all,” she cut him off in the middle of objecting.  “I won't come in, I know your dog isn’t fond of me.”</p>
<p>Percy went quiet in the way he always did when the subject of the creature in his apartment came up.  When they reached the narrow stretch of wall between their apartments he stopped and took a slow breath to steady himself before speaking.  “He doesn’t like you because I do.  I should have- I shouldn’t have been avoiding you and I should have agreed this was a date.  Back at the park.”  </p>
<p>Vex didn’t immediately answer but leaned up on her toes to put a hand on Percy’s cheek.  It was a date when she kissed him, sweet and soft and briefly lost in his blue eyes while he caught up to what had just happened.  </p>
<p>“You can make it up to me on the next date then.  Next week?”</p>
<p>Percy smiled gradually before finding the right word.  “Alright.”</p>
  </div></div>
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